A helicopter carrying tourists on a safari crash-landed in remote northern Kenya on Wednesday, killing all seven people on board. The passengers were mostly foreign tourists, according to officials. The aircraft went down at 9.13am local time (06.13 GMT) while flying from Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said. It added that an investigation was under way. Crash Location and VictimsOfficials said six passengers and the pilot were on board. Samburu police commander David Nkoroi told reporters that all seven people had died, but he did not disclose their identities. Ecuador’s Transport Minister Roberto Luque later said that the country’s intelligence chief, Michele Sensi-Contugi, and his wife, Stephany Hollihan, were among those killed. Luque wrote on X that they had “left us too soon” and said he was thinking of their family, including their children and parents. Sensi-Contugi, 42, was a former businessman appointed head of Ecuador’s National Intelligence Center in 2024. He was described as a close associate of right-wing President Daniel Noboa, whose country is dealing with a security crisis. US broadcaster NBCUniversal also said its journalist Jose Alberto Suarez died in the crash. The company said Suarez was president and general manager of Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49 and Telemundo Fort Myers–Naples. A spokesperson for the US Department of State said five US citizens were among the dead. The spokesperson said the US Embassy was in contact with local authorities and providing consular assistance, and extended condolences to families and loved ones. Search and Recovery OperationsKenya Red Cross emergency response teams were participating in a multiagency effort as rescue teams worked to access the crash site, the organisation said. Local media reported that the helicopter came down in rugged ground in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination. Kenya’s Daily Nation said three bodies were still trapped in the wreckage by Wednesday evening, and that recovery operations would continue on Thursday due to ongoing flames at the scene. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4. Lady Lori Helicopters, the operator that owns the helicopter, said it was conducting a charter flight when it crashed and that it was carrying guests arranged by travel company &Beyond. Tropic Air Kenya, a safari operator, said it had dispatched two helicopters to help with search and rescue. Safety Record in KenyaKenya’s tourism industry relies heavily on air links to move visitors to remote game parks and conservancies, which are often reached by charter flights. Helicopter crashes have occurred with increasing frequency, with operators transporting guests to areas such as Mount Ololokwe. In February, a Kenyan legislator was among six people who died after a helicopter crash in a hilly area of western Kenya. Join the discussion? 20 August 2026
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